Wat Si Don Chai

Operating day: Daily

Operating time: 08.00 - 17.00

 

Wat Sri Don Chai (Ngop) is located at No. 63, Ban Tai Rom Pho Thong, Moo 10, Ngop Subdistrict, Thung Chang District, Nan Province. It is a public Buddhist temple under the Mahanikaya order and one of the most important spiritual centers of the Tai Lue community in Ban Ngop. The temple was established in 1706, received its royal boundary marker on Wednesday, November 13, 1935, and held its boundary consecration ceremony on Sunday, March 12, 1937. Its major highlights include the sacred Bodhi tree regarded as the village spiritual pillar, the ordination hall, the Lanna-Tai Lue viharn, Phra Phuttha Withi Nayok, an ancient principal Buddha image, and the history of Tai Lue migration from the Sipsong Panna cultural region.

 

Wat Sri Don Chai is more than a village temple. It is a living center of history, belief, language, identity, and cultural memory for the Tai Lue people of Ban Ngop. Within the temple grounds stands a large sacred Bodhi tree, known locally as the spiritual heart of the Tai Lue village. Located at the center of the community and visible from higher ground, this tree serves as a strong symbol of the temple’s age and the continuity of local settlement. While temple buildings may be repaired, rebuilt, or changed over time, a sacred tree planted at the heart of the village remains a powerful witness to the community’s history.

 

In traditional Tai Lue and Lanna village settlement practices, the village heart pillar was often placed at the center of the community. A wooden post would be set into the ground, and a Bodhi tree would be planted to grow over and shelter it. This belief gives the Bodhi tree at Wat Sri Don Chai a meaning far beyond that of an ordinary tree. It represents life, stability, protection, and the spiritual center of the village. Because the temple stands at the heart of Ban Ngop and preserves this sacred tree, Wat Sri Don Chai clearly links Buddhism, local belief, and Tai Lue settlement traditions.

 

The history of Wat Sri Don Chai appears in more than one record. One account states that the temple was established in 1706, though the original founder is not clearly known. Another document associated with Phra Khru Khian Thong states that the temple was founded on January 16, 1702 and became fully established on March 15, 1706. Regardless of which date is used, Wat Sri Don Chai is clearly an ancient temple with more than 300 years of history and is one of the key sites representing the old Ban Ngop community.

 

The temple’s importance is also closely tied to the migration of Tai Lue people from Mueang Luang Phu Kha, Mueang Sing, Mueang Nang, and the Sipsong Panna region in present-day Yunnan, China. Phra Khruba Inta Wichai, an important monastic leader of Wat Sri Don Chai, led monks, novices, lay followers, and Tai Lue families to settle in Ban Ngop in 1813. This background makes Wat Sri Don Chai not only a Buddhist temple, but also a historical site that preserves the story of Tai Lue movement, settlement, and cultural continuity in Nan Province.

 

An important piece of evidence related to Phra Khruba Inta Wichai appears in a palm-leaf manuscript of the Milindapanha. The manuscript records the year Chula Sakarat 1185, corresponding to 1823, when the text was written to support Buddhism. This shows that Wat Sri Don Chai was a center of Buddhist learning, manuscript writing, and religious transmission. The temple therefore served not only as a place for worship and rituals, but also as a center of knowledge for the Tai Lue community.

 

The ordination hall of Wat Sri Don Chai measures 8 meters wide and 12 meters long. It was newly constructed beginning in 1992 and was celebrated on January 26, 1995. Inside the hall is a bronze principal Buddha image in meditation posture named “Phra Phuttha Withi Nayok.” This image was cast as a single piece without joints. It measures 31 inches across the lap, 54 inches high, and 41.5 inches wide. The Buddha image is accompanied by two disciple images and was donated by devotees from Wat Klang Bang Kaeo in Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom Province, during the ordination hall celebration.

 

Inside the ordination hall are also several registered Buddha images, making this sacred building important both for monastic ceremonies and Buddhist art. Visitors should spend time paying respect quietly and observing the graceful form of Phra Phuttha Withi Nayok. The ordination hall represents a later phase of temple development, while still preserving the temple’s continuing religious role in the community.

 

The viharn of Wat Sri Don Chai measures 9 meters wide and 20 meters long. It was built in 1970 during the period when Kamnan Boonsuai Intharangsi served as local leader. The principal Buddha image in the viharn is an ancient stucco image in the Subduing Mara posture. It measures 91 inches across the lap, 179 inches high, and 114 inches at the base. Its exact date of construction is not recorded, but the image has long been lacquered and gilded, showing its importance as a central object of devotion for the Ban Ngop community.

 

This principal Buddha image was repaired during the time of Phra Khru Khian Thong by the craftsman Arkhom Intharangsi because parts of the arms and lap area had deteriorated. After restoration, the form of the image changed somewhat from the original, yet it remains beautiful and deeply respected. The ears of the image were formerly made from so wood, a detail that reflects local craftsmanship and older artistic techniques.

 

The viharn is built in the Lanna Thai style and includes traditional ceremonial regalia along the sides, preserved according to Tai Lue custom. These details make the viharn both a sacred space and a cultural record. The presence of ceremonial objects reflects the reverence given to the principal Buddha image and the continuity of Tai Lue ritual practices that have been maintained in Ban Ngop for generations.

 

The monks’ residences also have an important history. On May 21, 1996 at 2:45 a.m., a fire broke out and burned the large monks’ residence. The flames almost reached the viharn and the abbot’s residence, but were put out in time. The ordination hall was not damaged, an event remembered with deep significance by the community. Today, the temple has two monks’ residences: Kuti Sri Suwan Rat, celebrated from December 31, 2000 to January 2, 2001, and another residence beside the ordination hall, along with one restroom building.

 

The bell tower was built in 1984 and remains another important feature of the temple. In a village temple, a bell tower is not merely an architectural element. It marks time, calls the community to religious activities, and symbolizes the presence of the temple in daily village life. Though smaller than the ordination hall or viharn, it continues to hold an important role in the rhythm of community life.

 

The large Bodhi tree at Wat Sri Don Chai has stood for a very long time. One local account describes it as 199 years old, while heritage records indicate that by 2021 it was at least 208 years old. It was planted by Phra Khruba Inta Wichai, the monastic leader who brought Tai Lue people from Sipsong Panna to settle in Ban Ngop. The tree therefore represents settlement, faith, protection, and the continuity of Tai Lue identity in Nan.

 

Wat Sri Don Chai is also part of the old Ban Ngop community, an area with a strong Tai Lue cultural identity. The people of Ban Ngop preserve the Tai Lue language, weaving traditions, local food, and annual rituals. Important traditions include Tan Salak Phat, the bathing ceremony of Phra That Sri Don Chai in March, Tan Lua Phing Fai Phra Chao, the annual cultural event on December 30, and the ritual honoring village guardian spirits in June. Through these activities, Wat Sri Don Chai remains a center of religion, tradition, and ethnic identity.

 

Near the temple, the Ban Ngop area also has the Tai Lue house museum, known as Huen Tai Lue. It was created to preserve and present knowledge about Tai Lue architecture, household life, cultural wisdom, and ethnic identity. A visit to Wat Sri Don Chai can therefore be combined with cultural learning in Ban Ngop, allowing travelers to understand the relationship between temple, house, language, ritual, food, weaving, and community memory.

 

Getting There Travelers can reach Wat Sri Don Chai (Ngop) by taking the Nan–Thung Chang road into Ngop Subdistrict, Thung Chang District, Nan Province. The temple is located in Ban Tai Rom Pho Thong, Moo 10, within the old Ban Ngop community. Private car is the most convenient option. The visit can be combined with Wat Thung Sun, the Civilian-Police-Military Heroic Monument, Doi Pha Phueng, Tham Pha Phueng, and other cultural or natural attractions in Thung Chang District.

 

Visitors should dress modestly and behave respectfully within the temple grounds, especially around the ordination hall, viharn, principal Buddha images, and the sacred Bodhi tree. Photography should be done politely and should not disturb monks or local worshippers. Wat Sri Don Chai is suitable for travelers interested in old temples, Tai Lue history, old communities, Buddhist art, and cultural travel routes in northern Nan.

 

In summary, Wat Sri Don Chai (Ngop) is an ancient and culturally important temple at the heart of the Tai Lue community of Ban Ngop. Its sacred Bodhi tree, ordination hall, Lanna-Tai Lue viharn, Phra Phuttha Withi Nayok, ancient principal Buddha image, and the story of Phra Khruba Inta Wichai and Tai Lue migration from Sipsong Panna make it one of the most meaningful places to visit in Ngop Subdistrict, Thung Chang District, Nan Province.

 

 

A: Wat Sri Don Chai is located at No. 63, Ban Tai Rom Pho Thong, Moo 10, Ngop Subdistrict, Thung Chang District, Nan Province.

 

A: Wat Sri Don Chai was established in 1706 and received its royal boundary marker on November 13, 1935.

 

A: The highlights include the sacred Bodhi tree, the Lanna-Tai Lue viharn, Phra Phuttha Withi Nayok, the ancient principal Buddha image, and the temple’s Tai Lue community history.

 

A: The Bodhi tree is regarded as the village spiritual pillar of the Tai Lue community of Ban Ngop and symbolizes the continuity of local settlement and faith.

 

A: The temple is a central spiritual site of the Tai Lue community of Ban Ngop, whose ancestors migrated from Mueang Luang Phu Kha, Mueang Sing, Mueang Nang, and Sipsong Panna.

 

A: Travelers can take the Nan–Thung Chang road into Ngop Subdistrict. The temple is located within the old Ban Ngop community, and private car is the most convenient option.